


Burning Heart

by farbsturz



Category: DCU (Comics), Super Sons (Comics)
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Might add more chapters later, Slow Burn, deity!damian, sacrifice!Jon, village on an island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 06:42:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14350062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farbsturz/pseuds/farbsturz
Summary: He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.One step forward. Then another.And then there was nothing but the deafening sound of the freefall into his death.----Jonathan Kent is offered as a sacrifice to the local deity of a volcano.





	Burning Heart

The excited cheers were passing right past him as his blue eyes were fixated on the mountain looking down on them from across the horizon. Too many hands were re-adjusting his clothes and head jewellry, too many voices were talking to him from every direction. “You should be proud” they said. “Your family will live like royalty.” others told him. “What a pretty offering you make.”

 

Offering.

 

In his village it was seen as an honor to be chosen to be… well, _killed off_.

 

But let us start with some narration.

 

The young man who was soon to be eaten by a volcano deity went by the name Jonathan Kent. He was but a simple farmer kid who had supported his parents on the fields since he could remember. A kind and warm hearted soul rested in his beating heart and he shared what little he had with everyone who needed it. Whether it was food, time, strength or an open ear. Jonathan Kent was a boy liked by the village and loved even more by his parents and older brother.

 

The villagers were a simple and small folk living on an island protected by mountains and a volcano. Many generations before had built up the houses, had tamed the animals, and had grown the trees which were proudly carrying fruits nowadays. However, the history of this island had never been forgotten and every grandparent made sure to teach the younger ones about the protector and judge of their village. Years ago, too many to count, the first villagers made a deal with the deity of this sacred land: they promised tributes in return of good harvests and protection from whoever meant them ill. The contract had been sealed with the blood of the first sacrifice and countless followed each spring.

 

And like every year the sacrifice had been chosen randomly. It could hit any teenager between the age of 13 to 18. And the cruel irony had seen to it that Jonathan Kent had been chosen just weeks before his 19th birthday. Each spring his parents had feared for his life and even though being offered was seen as an honor for many, the Kents would have preferred staying together. But fate was a… you know how the saying goes.

 

The ceremony was about to begin once the sun at the horizon kissed the tip of the volcano. Jon’s heart was beating too fast and he tried to tell himself that it was simply the adrenaline singing about thousands of unspoken words. His parents were standing a few feet away and with ease the teenager could see the tears in his mother’s eyes and his father’s arm wrapped around her. Conner Kent remained as close to him as he could and Jon felt thankful for the way his older brother tried to shield him from as many views as possible. Never had Jonathan taken part in the ceremony, he had usually spent the morning on the farm instead of celebrating another death. Who could have thought that the first time the teenager found himself at the ceremony would also be his last one?

 

The sun was rising just behind the mighty volcano and several hands pushed him towards the stone path that would lead him to the mountain’s hungry mouth. There was no time to say goodbye, no opportunity to kiss his parents goodbye. With a last yearning but also accepting gaze Jonathan nodded towards his family and held his chin high as music was played. People cheered, they danced, they prayed to that barbaric deity for good harvest.

 

It was time to go.

 

Only two priests accompanied him the way up, partly to praise the deity, partly to make sure he wouldn’t run off. A small smile lingered on Jon’s lips at the idea that he could easily take them both down but the consequences for his family wouldn’t be worth it. He had seen over many years that the villagers stayed truthful to their words and with his sacrifice his parents would be able to keep the farm and their fields. Conner would most likely be able to become the right hand of the chief and the people he loved would be able to wake up to a brighter future.

 

The jewelry seemed to be getting heavier and heavier with each step and the further Jon distanced himself from his village, the more this nightmare like dream became reality. Time seemed to pass too slowly and yet he found himself at the mouth of the volcano too soon. It hadn’t erupted for countless of years and the young man remembered the tales told about the last time someone had dared to challenge the deity. His grandparents had spoken of fire rain, black clouds and the absence of the sun. If the legend was true, it was said to have been a redhead that had once dared to explore the entry to the volcano without being an offering. The deity had been angry about such reckless curiosity and punished the villagers almost beyond recovery. That young boy had never been seen again.

 

It was a story told to children to scare them enough not to play nearby the deadly mountain but Jonathan had always wondered whether that redhead had truly existed.

 

“Here we are.” the smaller and thicker priest finally spoke up and Jon forced himself to look up from the stoney ground to study the edge of the volcano. He didn’t dare to lean forward to take a better look but a certain heat embraced him that almost seemed… annoyed?

 

“Are you ready, son?”

 

At that Jonathan had to smile. He doubted that anyone would be ready to jump headfirst into an ocean of lurking fire.

 

Yet the young man simply nodded.

 

The praising and summoning words of the priests were muffled by his racing heartbeat and Jon wondered what he had done to deserve this. The painful realization that he would never see his family again rested heavily on his soul and hands were clenched into fists to contain an outburst of emotions. He couldn’t act like a coward. This would be his death but he would meet the end with a raised chin.

 

If that deity truly existed then they were an ass.

 

“The time has come. Jonathan Samuel Kent, your offering will allow your village yet another fruitful year. Go and meet our protector, for we will never forget you and your sacrifice. May the grace embrace you.”

 

_Conner._

 

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 

_Father._

 

One step forward. Then another.

 

_Mother._

 

And then there was nothing but the deafening sound of the freefall into his death.

  
  
  
  


 

 

 

 

Oh, and the sudden feeling of being stopped mid air.

 

Blue eyes snapped open when Jon still felt pretty much alive. He should have burned to death or splat onto a stoney ground by now. Instead the young man found himself in the arms of a….

 

“A boy??”

 

Well, he didn’t even know his voice could be _that_ squeaky.

 

The person in question raised a brow in obvious disapproval and simply clicked his tongue.

 

“They are sending me a stringbean? Seriously? I damn guessed that they weren't even trying anymore. But this? This is an insult.”

 

_Did that dwarf just call me a…_

 

“Who are _you_ to call me a stringbean? You twerpzilla!”

 

Now that the first fear of death was vanishing, Jon used the moment to finally take the other in. The boy had a darker skin than him and piercing green eyes. Some pretty sharp teeth poked out from under full lips and if Jonathan was seeing right there were actually two little horns peeking out from under dark hair. A simple but beautiful green gown flattered a well built body and Jon stopped himself from looking further.

 

“Careful, corncob. I can still let you fall to death.”

 

A quick glance down told the villager that indeed, there was still magma beneath their feet. Maybe he should play nice until he wasn’t in obvious danger anymore.

 

“Good point. But my name is still Jonathan.”

 

And as green eyes were rolled, Jon began to wonder whether falling to his death would have been kinder than being stuck with this rude deity.

 

* * *

 

Jonathan had expected many things. While death was the most prominent idea, hellfire or painful torture had been on the list as well. However, from all the scenarios he had expected, the young man had not considered…

 

... _this._

 

He found himself in a jungle like cave, too big to simply fit into a volcano. A waterfall could be heard in the distance but what was even more surreal was a dog the size of a horse currently pinning the tiny deity to the ground.

 

“Get. Off. Me. Titus!”

 

The oversized pet didn’t seem to be bothered by the growling tone of the god and Jon couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at the weird view. It wasn’t like he made any move to help at all but the boy soon managed to push the animal off of him.

 

“Go and get the others, Titus. We have a new addition... but with those noodle arms I doubt he will be able to be of much use.”

 

Once the creature had run into the opposite direction from them the boy turned towards Jon.

 

“They call me Damianos but around here everyone uses Damian. You will either make yourself useful or I won’t have any need for you. It is your choice but returning is no option.”

 

This actually managed to surprise Jon.

 

“Wait, mister almighty Damianos. Does that mean you won’t… well… _eat_ me?”

 

The look he received almost made it seem like Jon was the one who just grew horns and fangs.

 

“Why the hell would I eat meat? Besides, you are nothing but skin and bones anyway, if anything I would give you to Titus to chew on. Just why the hell does everyone ask me that once they come here?”

 

“Because you are too intimidating with your height and grumpy attitude.” another voice spoke up.

 

The huge dog stepped out of the green to further reveal two men. One was tall, well built, with messy black hair and brilliant blue eyes. He was wearing a grin while the smaller man seemed younger and slimmer. That one shared the same hair and eye color, however he held a pile of papers.

 

“Richard? Tim?”

 

He spoke up without thinking and with a simple nod of the others Jon was already jumping into the older ones’ open arms. These two had been offerings several years before him and while Timothy had been the partner of his brother, Richard had been a close friend of his father. Jonathan still remembered how heartbroken Conner had been once Tim had been chosen just years after Dick had been taken from him.

 

“Don’t take it the mean way, Jon, but I would have preferred not seeing you again.” Dick said with a soft smile as he held the younger one close.

 

“You have grown so much since I’ve last seen you. You look so much like your parents now, little J.”

 

Wiping the tears away the second they rolled down his cheeks, Jon couldn’t comprehend the relief he felt in that moment. All this time they had thought these two died a cruel death but here they were, _alive_ and well. His attention snapped back towards Tim and he hugged him as well.

 

“Conner is doing okay. He was sad after you… left but he is laughing and smiling again. He always told me that you wouldn’t want him to mope around and that you would kick his butt if you were to see him like that. My brother misses you but now he is smiling whenever he remembers you.”

 

Tim simply nodded but Jonathan could feel the other shaking. Upon looking up the villager also saw Dick rubbing his brother’s back and their met eyes for a few seconds.

 

“Grayson, where is Todd? If he’s sun bathing again then I swear I will throw him into the magma.”

 

Oh yea, Jonathan had almost forgotten the presence of the so called deity. However, he couldn’t take _Damianos_ seriously, seeing as how he was crossing his arms like a pouting child.

 

“Jason? I last saw him feeding Batcow. Technically he should be at Alfred’s place right now but you never know with a lazy tiger.”

 

“Wait a moment, Jason Todd is also here??” Jon spoke up with surprise. He only received the sound of Damian’s clicking tongue.

 

“Sadly. You guys could have kept him, all he does is talk back, ignore orders, and eat all the food.”

 

Richard shook his head with a small smile and actually ruffled the deity’s hair.

 

“Tim and I will look for him. How about you show Jon around and tell him why he’s here in the first place. And Dames, be nice. Jon is a good friend and I’m sure you’ll get along. Eventually. Maybe. Or not.”

 

The young man watched helplessly as his two friends once again left him alone with that gremlin of a person.

 

Just great… and now?

 

“Follow me.” Damian suddenly said and began to walk with Titus by his side. Jonathan decided to tag along without another word and use the moment to take in his surrounding. The cave was open towards the sky and he could spot the bright sun towering above them all. Exotic trees and plants he had never seen before grew everywhere and once in a while a foreign animal would pass by them which were all named by the deity.

 

“Your job will be to help me and the others feed the animals and keep this place intact. Over thousands of years humanity managed to cause many plants and animals to almost go extinct and this here is their last resort. I protect them from the outside world and in return they keep me company and give me food. The first of your villagers found the entry to this sacred place and we made a deal -  they would take this secret to their graves and in return I would allow them to live on the surface.”

 

Okay, that explained why no one was allowed near the volcano. But what about…

 

“What about those yearly sacrifices? Why do you need them?”

 

Damian sent him a quick glance as they passed the waterfall. Dozens of fish were swimming inside the crystal clear water and Jon even saw a perfect reflection of himself in it.

 

“I never wanted yearly offerings, that’s something your people understood wrongly. And no matter how often I told them to stop sending me some they just didn’t listen. My idea had been to pick up a human every twenty years or so who could lend me a hand down here. Feeding the animals, looking out for sickness and infections, resolving conflicts between different races and so on. It’s quite a lot of work, even for me. I simply wanted a few little helpers every now and then but your village had to overdo it. Now the sacrificed humans work for me a decade long and then they can settle down and live their life. While down here they are immortal like the other creatures. However, if they wish to leave they die when their time has come.”

 

To say that this was a lot to take in was an understatement but from what Jon had gathered there was actually a chance of seeing his family again. The hope and relief filling his heart was incredible and an invisible weight was lifted from his shoulder. It felt as if he could breathe easier and his walk had found its little jump again.

 

“Alright then, Damian. Show me where I can start.”

 

As Jon cracked his knuckles he noticed the small but genuine smile on the deity’s lips.

 

Maybe this god wasn’t as big of a butt as he had thought at first.

 

And perhaps this ‘death’ wouldn’t be all too bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> If you wish to read more of this universe please feel free to leave a comment! Every support is appreciated
> 
>  
> 
> My tumblr: [farbsturz](http://farbsturz.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Beta reader was as always my best friend [mildlycuriousdragon](http://mildlycuriousdragon.tumblr.com/)


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